


Disparity

by waterbird13



Series: Tumblr Fics [213]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Feeling of not belonging, Gen, Poverty, Stanford Era, angsty, move in, not as angsty as it sounds but still angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 19:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8114242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterbird13/pseuds/waterbird13
Summary: Sam meets his roommate. They come from fundamentally different places, and that won't change no matter how nice the guy is.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is another piece from Tumblr.
> 
> Sam focuses on financial issues and class disparities.

Sam moves in first, which means he gets his pick of beds and gets to set all his stuff up before the room is filled with too many people and too many things.

Not that there’s that much stuff to set up. He unloads his duffel into the dresser, puts his backpack on the desk, and makes a list. He needs towels, sheets. A pillow, a blanket. A computer and textbooks he has no idea how he’ll afford. Some notebooks, some pens. 

The RA mentioned a group shopping trip later tonight. Sam doesn’t intend to go with them, doesn’t need everyone to see him scrape pocket change together so he can have some sheets on his bed tonight, but still, the flier his RA handed him at least has an address on it.

Maybe he’ll play one last game of pool, just enough to get him through this. He starts his on-campus job Monday. After that, he should be fine on his own.

The door pushes open, so Sam sets aside his thoughts and his list, stands up to greet the newcomer.

His name, at least according to the tag on the door, is Mike. He’s shorter than Sam–lately, most people are–with short, curly brown hair and a somewhat nervous grin.

“Sam?” he asks.

Sam nods. “Hey,” he says.

Mike pushes in, carrying a suitcase and a duffel bag. His parents quickly follow him inside, each toting some boxes. “Your parents at the car?” Mike asks him.

Sam swallows. It’s started. Already, it’s started. “Here on my own,” he says. “Came by bus. I’ll go shopping later.”

Mike nods, like that’s an acceptable answer. “Cool. Maybe I can tag along. Bet I forgot some stuff.”

Mike’s mom sets down her boxes and then squeezes his shoulder. “I’ll let you two say hello,” she says. “We’ll just go get the next set of boxes.”

So they leave, leaving Sam alone with this kid.

Mike is a legacy to Stanford. Both his parents went here, and they met each other here. He’s a four-oh student at some high school up in Northern California, and he played football and baseball, depending on the season. Sam swallows.

“We…travelled a lot?” he tries. He knew he would never fit in here. Dad and Dead told him a million times, he’d never belong anywhere else. He knew it, accepted it, wanted to try to be here regardless. But that doesn’t make it any easier. 

“Cool,” Mike says. 

Sam nods. Sure. Cool. 

Mike’s parents show back up with more boxes, then leave again, presumably to get even more. Sam looks at Mike’s side of the room, filling up, and his, all his worldly possession in a few scattered bags.

Mike grins. “So, I got a TV,” he says. “You can use it, if you want. Just so, you know, you don’t go out and buy one.”

Sam swallows. Because he was ever going to buy a TV. “Thanks,” he says.

Mike grins wider. “No problem, man,” he says.

The guy seems nice. He’s certainly sincere, and Sam respects that. He’s just someone a million miles away from Sam, and Sam is suddenly reminded once more than every single person at this school is equally far from him.


End file.
